Lightning Crashes

Hanseath

While most dwarf gods lead their followers to ecstasy and a communion with the divine through intense focus – the blissful look on the face of a dwarf working on an axe blade for hours in a blazing forge is no accident — Hanseath the Bearded One (his beard obscures almost his entire face) takes a shortcut to ecstasy. One of the few chaotic dwarf deities, he represents the festive and wild side of the dwarf race; a passion that all dwarves feel, but few express.

Dwarves who do not worship Hanseath appreciate the battle frenzy of his berserker worshippers, but they also tend to be made uncomfortable by his and their undisciplined ways.

Worshipers

Hanseath represents the festive side of dwarven culture, best represented by a drunken feast. Brewers hold him in high regard and he is often worshiped by dwarf barbarians and any other dwarves who charge headlong into battle, caring not what the odds might be.

Clergy

Hanseath’s clerics often serve in dwarven military units, acting as healers and spellcasters, urging their fellow dwarves into battle. Such units are not always a comfortable mix of personnel, though, since Hanseath’s clerics also have a rebellious streak. Many dwarf armies segregate Hanseath clerics into their own berserker units.

Temples

Hanseath’s shrines are great festhalls dominated by long tables where worshipers feast and raise goblets to Hanseath’s glory. Most have extensive kitchens and pantries attached.

Rituals

Hanseath’s rites look like great feasts, rich with food and drink. Most are raucous affairs performed prior to battle and after a great victory, with one exception – the Ritual of the Cleft Shield. Few events in dwarven life are more heartbreakingly solemn than this ritual, performed by followers of Hanseath for a particularly beloved comrade who fell in battle.

Hanseath’s prayers are often chanted or sung. Many have simple rhyme schemes and frequent, repetitive choruses. In other words, they’re drinking songs.